CMA CGM will launch two new services in the upcoming January to enhance its connection from North Europe to East Mediterranean, Levant and West Turkey.

The first product, named NC Levant Express, will commence on 8 January and will be a weekly service. Five CMA CGM-operated vessels of 3,800-4,200TEU nominal capacity will be deployed on the service, whose port rotation will be: Southampton - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Antwerp - Le Havre - Tanger - Malta - Alexandria - Damietta - Beirut - Mersin - Iskenderun - Algeciras - Southampton.

NC Levant Express full rotation will last 35 days, according to the French line, which particularly mentions that it will need 12 days from Antwerp to Alexandria and 14 days to Beirut, while Mersin to Southampton and Rotterdam will take 12 and 14 days, respectively.

Additionally, the second CMA CGM's standalone new service is called FEMEX and links North Europe to Marmara and Izmir areas.

It is expected to start on 17 January and the Marseille-based company will use four boxships of 3,500-4,200TEU nominal capacity, which will sail under the following port rotation: Southampton - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Antwerp - Malta - Gebze - Ambarli - Gemlik - Aliaga - Tanger - Southampton.

The new service rotation will be completed in 28 days, while CMA CGM has given some specific ocean transit times:

• Antwerp to Ambarli in 10 days
• Antwerp to Gemlik in 11 days
• Avcilar to Southampton in 11 days
• Avcilar to Hamburg in 14 days

CMA CGM said that FEMEX service will enable global transit time improvement by 3.5 days amongst the different port pairs.

At the same time, CMA CGM has announced the following increased Freight All Kinds (FAK) rates from North Europe to the ports of Jebel Ali and Jeddah, effective from 1 January.

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